Octavarius: So Nefarious
Recommended
The Short List (Theater)

When: Sundays. Continues through Feb. 26 2012

I happened to see Octavarius on Father's Day, when the nine-member improv troupe began their set with a hilarious dry t-shirt contest that showcased sexy dads in attendance. The audience suggested "chipmunk" as something you'd never pack in a beach bag, and the players created inventive, entertaining bits based on the old TV cartoon series Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Group members maintained high energy throughout and used scene transitions seamlessly to advance subplots. A two-man group called Baby Cash opened, initiating the beach motif with a striptease down to swim trunks and improv based around the suggestion of "sand." Most of Baby Cash's bits failed to stay afloat, but I enjoyed a scene about crab felons held captive in a human-made sand prison. --Marissa Oberlander